Little Three
by ThespianKid
Summary: Three Girls. One Prophecy. Thousands of adversaries and a million problems. The protection is dissipating, the war is starting, and the problems are rising. Watch as three best friends try to conquer their problems when their lives are suddenly accelerate and their time begins to run out. Warnings: OC-Central; HoO doesn't happen; swearing WILL happen
1. Prologue

**Title: **Little Three

**Rating: **T, for foul-language and possibly gruesome scenes

**Genre: **Adventure, Friendship, (some) Angst, (possibly some) Crime, (hopefully some) Humor, Hurt/Comfort, (some) Romance, (some) Suspense, (some) Drama

**Summary: **"Three Girls. One Prophecy. Thousands of adversaries and a million problems. The protection is dissipating, the war is starting, and the problems are rising. Watch as three best friends try to conquer their problems when their lives are suddenly accelerate and their time begins to run out."

**Warnings: **OC-central (but don't worry. There are canon characters and no one dates any of them), very mild Percabeth, suggestive and foul language, violence, and some irritating sulking (trust, I hated writing it, but it comes later on).

Also, this is continuing as if the Heroes of Olympus series never happens.

* * *

The room was quiet and the atmosphere was tense. Apollo stood alone in the middle of the throne room, the rest of the Olympians' eyes locked upon him. Even Hades had been invited and was staring at Apollo just as intently. Apollo had just delivered a prophecy that completely contradicted everything that the gods knew about their children. More specifically, the children of the Big Three.

The Great Prophecy stated that the three could not have children, because of the chance of destroying the world. But now…

"So," Zeus finally spoke up, breaking the silence, but not the tension, "this _new_ prophecy? It states that we _need_ to have children; exactly what the Great Prophecy forbids?"

Apollo's head was hanging low. Even the God of Prophecy was confused as to how this could happen, and it interfered with his usual relaxed attitude. Having no other answer, Apollo simply nodded his head solemnly.

"Does…" Zeus peered over at his wife, who was looking angrier than anyone else on the council, but at least had the decency to try and hide it. Zeus cleared his throat and continued, "Do any children already born count?"

"No," Apollo said.

"Why not?"

Apollo tore away from his thoughts for a moment and looked up skeptically at his father. "Is that a real question? Are you asking me why the prophecy is how it is?"

Zeus leaned back in his throne and let out a gruff, "I suppose not."

"I cannot believe this," Hera muttered, turning everyone's attention toward her.

"Hera, I know that you do not appreciate this, but—" Athena tried to explain, but Hera stopped her sentence short.

"I DON'T LIKE IT!" she exploded. "I FINALLY HAVE MY HUSBAND BACK AND AWAY FROM THE MORTAL WOMEN, AND NOW THIS?!"

"Hera," Apollo warned, "I know that you kind of want to blow something up right now, or do the simple thing and harass the daughter of Zeus, but no matter how much any of us might want to kill them after they're born, we can't."

"Why not?!" Apollo rolled his eyes at the repeated question.

"Because—" he stressed, but then the door to the throne room burst open.

"Because of me," the goddess on the other side of the door stated. Hera looked the goddess up and down, studying everything about her: Her loosely-curled caramel locks cascading from the top of her head to her shoulders and down her back; her forest green eyes; the look of pure innocence in her eyes. It was obvious that this particular goddess liked to keep to herself and had built walls that kept her from being injured emotionally.

Being the Queen of the Gods, Hera recognized the goddess immediately. She huffed and threw herself back into her seat, knowing that she wanted to stop the goddess but also knowing that there was nothing she could do.

"Well, then," Artemis said, addressing the Big Three, "if I were you three, then I'd get to… it."

*Nine Months Later*

October 15th, 1997. It was on this day that the daughter of Zeus was born.

It was on this day that the trio was completed.

It was on this day that the three babies were presented their weapons to aid them when their time came.

It was on this day that a blessing was given, and it was on this day that three mothers met and understood the dangers that their only daughters were in.

* * *

**So how was it? It's pretty short, but it's a prologue. The rest of the story will be in present tense, since this is more of a look at what started it all, or a flashback if you prefer. Also, the rest of the chapters will have rotating points of view (don't worry, only one POV per chapter).**

**Let me know what you think! Only you can help me improve!**


	2. Farewell Flu

**Next installment is ready! Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter! Hopefully you like this new one!**

**I don't own PJO, but did anyone really think I did? Rick Riordan is not a 15-year-old female…**

* * *

(June 16th)

(Ashley's POV)

My breathing is heavy and I can't take another step. My heart is basically trying to break out of my chest and my face is beaded with salty sweat. I shake my head in determination and attempt to move forward, but my knees buckle underneath my weight and I collapse to the ground. I roll over onto my back and look up at the sky, feeling my eyes slowly gloss over. I'm ready to cross the line between life and death.

"Would you stop being such a drama queen?" a voice above me says and I feel a kick in my side.

"Oh, would you just let me pretend to die?" I stand up and brush the dead grass from my gym clothes, glaring at one of my best friends. "I _hate_ running the mile."

Michelle puts her hand on her hip and shifts all of her weight to her right foot: The diva pose. "So does, like, most of the eighth grade population. Only Alex really seems to love it; she finished like three minutes ago."

"Well I'm not in top physical shape like Alex is."

"And I am? I can't break a pencil in half!"

The two of us start to walk. We only have about fifty meters to go, so walking isn't _too_ bad.

I laugh at her. "Oh, yeah, I remember when you tried that. Wasn't that to impress a boy?"

"Yeah, but I never really, you know, liked him. Flirting's just fun."

"Well you _are_ a notorious flirt."

"Yeah, but in my case, people don't dislike me for it. It's probably because I'm pretty."

I have to agree with her there. With her tanned Hispanic skin, slight accent, silky hair, bright green eyes, and figure, Michelle is one of the prettiest girls in the school. She should be one of the most sought-after, too, but people don't usually like to pay her any mind. They don't really pay attention to _anyone_ in our group for that matter. Oh well, it's their loss.

"Can't protest there," I say and she smirks. Typical Libra: Always appreciative of compliments. That goes for me, too, just in case anyone's interested.

We make it to the finish line and find Alex waiting for us.

"You guys do know that this was an _exam_, right?" she asks.

Our faces brighten. "The last one, to be exact. After this our summer vacation officially starts," I say.

"And we'll be ninth graders. Going after high school guys." She smiles and fans herself. "Ooh, those boys are _tamale_."

I simply smirk. I turn to Alex and say, "Told you she was gonna say that."

* * *

_The wheels on the bus round and round, round and round, round and round! The wheels on the bus go round and round and we are going out of town!_

That song was stuck in my head the entire time we were in the locker room. How the thought of thought of travel had crept into my mind, I have no idea.

Oh, wait, yes I do.

The final member of our little group, Riley Corner, has somehow convinced us to go to this summer camp that he heard about. Yeah, summer camp isn't an ideal way to spend summer vacation for most (the bugs are what bother me the most), but we promised him, and if we don't follow through, he'll never let us forget it. So that's why we have to go out of town.

I shake my head and roll my eyes as I shut my locker door. I turn the dial three times. As an end-of-school tradition, I set it perfectly on the zero, so that the next person who gets the locker will have it ready. Or something like that. I don't know; it just kind of helps it sink in that this is the last day of school.

Instead of leaving my locker, I stand where I am. It's hard work, considering that I have ADHD, but I make it through. Once the hallways are still, someone's voice sounds.

"In three," he says, "… two… one… Now!" The once silent hallway erupts into yells and whoops, there's a banging noise in the background from all of the people abusing their lockers, and everyone's jumping up and down like crazy—this is yet another tradition.

They're going especially crazy this year. I assume that it's the whole graduating from the eighth grade thing. All I know for certain is that I'm laughing so hard that I feel ready to split in half. When the teachers come over to stop it all, everyone bends over and charges out like angry fire ants. A few kids are caught—the trick is to not be one of the few. One of the teachers comes _super_ close to catching me, but I sidestep and avoid him by an inch.

_Oh, sure,_ I think bitterly. _They barely take notice until I want to slip by undetected._

I exit the school and look around for my friends. Gradually they all come out: Alex, Michelle, and Riley. We begin to walk back to our neighborhood. Most people frown upon this, but we all know this city like the backs our hands.

"So you guys are coming to summer camp with me?" Riley asks nervously.

I roll my eyes and together Michelle, Alex, and I say, "Yes!"

"How many fucking times do you have to hear it?" Alex asks. I playfully shake my finger at her.

"Someone's a potty-mouth," I joke.

"Really, though? Coming from the girl who probably _wrote_ the dirty joke book?

"I like innuendos and dirty jokes. Who are you, the po-po?" I ask as we cross a relatively lazy street.

"Guys!" Riley presses. "I'm serious, though, you guys _have_ to come with me this time!"

Michelle puts her hands together and looks at the sky. "Lord, help me, if this boy asks one more time—"

"Please, you know you not 'bout to do nothing," Alex says and Michelle scoffs, but says nothing back.

"Look, bottom line," I say, "we're coming. Now will you hop up off my jock?"

Riley crosses his arms and blows out a breath of air from one corner of his mouth—like a scoff mixed with a smirk. "Whatever," he says.

"Boy, don't _even_ try to play it off," Michelle says. And then I feel something wet and spray-like spread across the back of my neck. My hand immediately reaches up and I clamp onto the spot where I've been sprayed. Then I realize that I've been sneezed on.

There are so many people speed-walking past us that I know that I'll never figure out who did that, so I simply stomp my foot in indignation. I know that there's an inexplicable flu going around, and I've ignored it for the most part since my friends and I stay healthy, occasionally checking to see how our parents are feeling. Michelle's mom, Alex's mom, and my mom have caught a mild strain of it, but they seem to get better whenever we come around, though even that small ounce of protection seems to be wearing thin.

But this. I draw the _line_ when someone sneezes right on my neck.

"I hate this freaking flu!" I yell at the sky.

* * *

**So, let me know what you think! This story is kind of old, so my writing style has improved, and it can only get better from here!**

**I'll try to update pretty frequently, so next week/over the weekend seems reasonable. See you then!**


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